Relationship dossier
Turkey
Egypt
Relationship assessment
Rapprochement has restored high-level ties, though regional disagreements remain
Turkey toward Egypt
+20Turkey’s government sharply criticized Egypt’s 2013 change of government and hosted members of the Egyptian opposition, contributing to a prolonged diplomatic rupture. It later pursued normalization, and the two governments restored ambassador-level relations in 2023. Erdoğan’s 2024 visit to Cairo advanced bilateral cooperation.
Egypt toward Turkey
+20Egypt’s government downgraded relations with Turkey in 2013 and expelled the Turkish ambassador amid Ankara’s criticism of the post-2013 Egyptian government. Egypt later engaged in normalization talks and restored ambassador-level relations in 2023. President el-Sisi’s 2024 visit to Turkey further advanced bilateral cooperation.
Overall relationship
+15The relationship combines a substantial diplomatic rupture rooted in Turkey’s opposition to Egypt’s post-2013 government with a subsequent, mutual effort to restore ties. Ambassadorial relations and presidential visits mark a concrete rapprochement, while disagreements over regional policy continue to limit the partnership.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Turkey and Egypt moved from sharp diplomatic confrontation after Egypt’s 2013 political upheaval toward renewed engagement. The governments restored ambassador-level relations in 2023, and President Erdoğan’s 2024 visit to Cairo advanced cooperation. Relations remain constrained by differences over regional issues, including Libya and the political role of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Areas of tension
- Turkey’s support for Egyptian opposition figures after 2013 and its criticism of Egypt’s government
- Differences over political movements associated with the Muslim Brotherhood
- Competing positions and alignments in Libya
Key developments
Egypt and Turkey downgraded diplomatic relations amid disputes over Egypt’s 2013 political transition and Turkish criticism of the Egyptian government.
The two governments began exploratory talks aimed at normalizing relations.
Turkey and Egypt restored ambassador-level diplomatic relations.
President Erdoğan visited Cairo, and the two governments advanced a bilateral cooperation agenda.
Major uncertainties
- The implementation and scope of the cooperation agenda announced during the 2024 presidential visit remain unclear.
- The extent to which differences over Libya and regional political movements continue to constrain cooperation is uncertain.